Latch for automobile-doors.



J. RITCHIE. LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE DIOORSI APPLICATION FILED MAR 2, 1917.

ma ma Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

301m RITCHIE, or new YORK, N. Y.

LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE-DOORS.

aseasao.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 19180 Application filed March 2, 1917. Serial No. 152,027.

To "all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R TCHIE, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Latches for Automobile-Doors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in automobile doors, and has for its primary object the provision of means for latching the doors in closed position including concealed releasing. means having actuating means exposed for. actuation, but the character of which is such as not to be ordinarily observed by others than the user of the machine, all to the end that the machine is better protected against unauthorized entry through the doorway.

The preferred embodiment of the invention embraces an actuating means for the door latch formed and arranged in simulation of a part of the door structure to exhibit a correspondingly misleading appearance to one casually viewing the same.

That the details in construction and arrangement of parts of a practical construction made in accordance with the invention may be readily' understood, l[ have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, the preferred embodiment of .the invention to which I have already alluded. These drawings are of course intended to be considered in connection with the specific description thereof hereinafter contained.

In the drawings:

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of a closed body of a vehicle possessing the invention, the window or glass panel portion of the door in this view being raised, and the outer wall of the lower panel being broken away to show the locking mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an edge view :of the door,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line XX of Fig. 1, with the window lowerel into the hollow bottom section or panel; an

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view.

Referring more specifically to the drawings wherein the same reference letters des gnate corresponding parts in the several views, A represents the frame or casing of the doorway, and B the door hinged near its upper and lower ends, as at C to one side of the frame in the customary manner.

D is the lower panel or portion of the door, the same being of hollow formation, in that it has front and rear walls, as shown, between which the vertically slidable window or glass panel E, provided with a suitable frame F working between guides G, may be dropped and inclosed as occasion may re- M is a latching bolt of any convenient type adapted to cooperate with a keeper N on the adjacent side of the frame A, this bolt reciprocating back and forth through the opening K in the plate H previously referred to and guided by flanges O struck inwardly from said plate above and below the bolt. A stoppin P over which a slotted. portion Q in the lower edge of the bolt takes, limits the movement of the bolt in both its outward thrust or retracted positions.

- The inner end of the bolt is pivotally connected as at g, to avertically disposed lever R, pivoted to the supporting plate L, as at 1 and carrying at its upper end which is 0E- set outwardly as illustrated, a pair of separated anti-friction rollers S, for a purpose as will soon appear. At the pivotal junction between the bolt Q and lever R I provide an anti-friction roller T adapted to con stantly work against an outwardly thrust spring U mounted upon the plate L, as at u 'and reinforced by a pin u behind. said spring and also secured to said plate.

The spaced rollers S are adapted to fit in parallel grooved portions 1) whereby to support,-and as required, ride beneath the free end of a manually operable lock controllingdevice in the nature of an elongated member closed at its outer free end as atV, but branched at itsinner end as at V to provide engaging members respectively located inside and outside of the window E, when elevated, to permit operation of the latch correspondingly from the inside and outside of the car. u

That end of the branched portion V of the controlling device now under discussion, which lies nearest to the supporting plate L is pivoted toosaid plate as at -W enabling the connected end V of this device to maintain by gravity its position relative to the rollers It will be appreciated that the branched portionV' of the' controlling device provides ample space as at Y for the accommo dation of the slidable window or panel E.

his to befurther understood that the upper edges of the front and rear wall portions D are grooved to receive the branched portions V of the controlling device, the

grooving being represented at Z, and that the parts are so proportioned and arranged that the upper surfaces of the controlling device are flush with the adjacent surfaces of the upper edges of said wall portions D so that, as best seen in Fig. 2, the entire vstructure presents the appearance of a secof the spring U is such as to normally thrust the bolt M outwardly into the keeper N to loc'k'the door closed, correspondingly maintaining the rollers S at their highest position with the controlling device VV in its horizontal or flush position, and the tension of the spring is such as to require substantial pressure to release the bolt, necessitat-- mg the engagement of-the said controlling device VV at a point considerably re- -moved from'the pivot W thereof, and near the outer or free end of said device. During the back and forth movements of the bolt and the consequent shifting of the operat-ing parts, the rollers S and T facilitate the operation and prevent noise.

As stated, it will be appreciated that 1 whether or not the window E being closed or open, the door may be actuated from either outside or inside the car by merely pressing the fingers over the upper edge of the bottom portion D and depressing said fingers to correspondingly depress the free end of the controlling device VV, which in turn, operating through the rollers S at the short end of the lever B, throw the lower and longer end of the lever B inwardly, against the pressure of the spring U and retracting the bolt M from the keeper N, the withdrawing of the pressure of therfingers permitting the parts to immediately assume their normal latching position, and by reason of the usual inner beveled face of the bolt M enabling the lockto automatically recede while the door is being closed and be thrust outwardly into the keeper when the door is completely closed, after'the common practice in this art.

While I have herein disclosed the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates that the same is capable of embodiment in other forms and devices without departing from the spirit or principle of the invention, as may be comprehended by the hereto appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: x

1. The combination with a door member, of latching means therefor comprisin a bolt, means for normally throwing'the holt to locking position, and means for retracting said bolt including an elongated pivote member lying at the upper edge of the door and adapted to be depressed, for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a door member, of latching means therefor i'comprising a bolt, means for normally throwing the bolt to locking position, and means for retractin said bolt including an elongated pivote member lying at the upper edge of the door and adapted to be depressed, and a pivoted leveF engaging said member at one end "and at its other endengaging the bolt.

3. The combination with adoor member, of-means for latchingthe same comprising a bolt, means for normally throwing the bolt to latching position, and means for retracting the bolt comprising a pivoted lever en-- gaging the bolt at one end. and at its other end being olfset, and an elongated pivoted member at the upper edge of the door member engaging said oflset end of said lever,

substantially as described.

the door member, substantially as described. I r

6. The combination With a door member and means for latching the same comprising a ,bolt, and means for shifting the same in one direction including a depressible elon gated member pivoted at the tlpper edge of the door member, and operating connections between said elongated member and the bolt including a sliding engagement between the former and said operating connections.

'7. The combination with a door member and means for latching the same comprising a bolt, and means for shifting the same in one direction including a depressible elon- Maegan gated member pivoted at the upper edge of the door member, and operating connections between said elongated member and the bolt including a sliding engagement between the former and said operating connections, said sliding engagement comprising a grooved portion of the elongated member and an anti-friction roller carried by the operating connections.

8. The combination with a door member, of a latch therefor comprising a bolt, a spring for forcing the bolt outwardly to latching position, means for retracting the bolt including a lever pivoted thereto, and an ant-i friction bearing interposed between said spring and said bolt, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a door member,

of means for latching the same including a bolt, means for normally throwing the bolt to latching position, and means for retracting the bolt including an elongated depressible member in the upper edge of the door member, and operating connections between said member and bolt including an anti-frictionbearing interposed between said elongated member and the adjacent part of the operating connections. I

10. The combination with a door member of hollow formation to accommodate an upper panel, of means for latching the door member in closed position including a bolt, and means for controlling the bolt having branched engaging portions lying at the upper edges of the door member at opposite sides of the panel receiving opening.

11. The combination with a door member of hollow formation to accommodate an upper panel, of means for latching the door member in closed position including a bolt, and means for controlling the bolt having branched engaging portions lying at opposite sides of the panel receiving opening, and operating connections between said branched controlling device and the bolt including a pivoted lever associated at one end withthe bolt and at the other end bearing separated anti-friction devices, the adjacent part of the controlling device being grooved for the accommodation of said devlces, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a door member of hollow construction to accommodate a slidable panel, of means for .latching said door member including a bolt, means for normally throwing the bolt to locking position, and means for retracting the bolt including an elongated branched controlling device lying in part at opposite sides of the opening of said panel, in combination with means for pivotally mounting said branched controlling device at one end, and operating connections between the free end thereof and said bolt.

13. The combination with a door and a panel carried thereby, of latching mechanism for latching the door, and controlling means arranged on each side of the panel and lying at the horizontal upper edge of the door, and a connection between said controllingmeans and the door latching mechanism.

14. The "combination with a door member, of a panel carried thereby, latching mecha nism for the door, and means on each side of the panel and lying at the horizontal top edge of thedoor for controlling said latching mechanism to permit the operation thereof from either side of the panel.

15. The combination with a door member, of a panel carried thereby, latching mechanism for the door, and controlling means on each side of the panel and lying at the horizontal top edge of the door for controlling said latching mechanism to permit the operation thereof from either side of the panel, said controlling means comprising a bifurcated elongated member, and a pivotal support for said member.

16. The combination with a door and a panel carried thereby, of latching mechanism for the door and elongated latch controlling means arranged on each side of the panel and lying at the horizontal upper edge of the door having an operative connection with the latching mechanism, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a door member and means for latching the same, comprising a latching member, and means for shifting the latching member including an elongated member depressible at one end thereof and in operative association with the latching member, said elongated member occupying a position lengthwise of the upper edge of the door member and approxlmately at said edge.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RITCHIE.

Witnesses:

ULYSSES Gr. GLICK, JOHN Gnmonn. 

